I am currently re-lettering a Lionel Texas Special observation car to make it a closer match to the one found on the Meteor. In fact, I am redoing several Lionel TS cars. The decals are all custom printed. There will even be a custom-made Meteor tail sign when completed. I got rid of the full diaphragms and replaced them with something quite close to the actual ones used.
Very well done. Breakfast while riding down Dixon Hill, anyone? Count me in. When a model makes one think such thoughts, that's success indeed. Ken McElreath
Almost finished, plus I changed my mind and made this car 1551 OKLAHOMA CITY. (It was a close fit on the existing nameplate). I was marked up in OKC, so that is what I wanted to name it in the first place. KIRKWOOD 1255 is a coach.
Huntleigh was a dinette-coach on the Meteor serving light meals while full menu dining was found in the observation lounge.
After its railroad career was over, the Huntleigh was moved near the campus of SMSU, where it served as a bar and grill. It was a favorite hang out of the school of geology, and I spent many afternoons there. I wasn't drinking coffee, however. Ultimately it was moved to a scrap yard near Nichols Jct, where it was put to the torch. The Huntleigh letter board and number boards remained. During its last days of service, the car was repainted Pullman green. My brother and I discovered them, and bought them. I mounted my number board, and it hangs above my desk, from which I am writing this note. Good times and memories.
That is a wonderful bit of news. It makes me glad I did not choose the name of the sister coach-lounge car, LaDue.
The "upscale St. Louis County suburb" adjacent to Huntleigh, and the inspiration for the name of the sister railroad car, uses lower case after the first letter ("Ladue"). However, the Henry County town on the MKT down from Clinton does capitalize the second syllable and separates the two according to Google maps ("La Due"). I am a little sensitive about this because I attended Horton Watkins High School; We could not call it "Ladue High School" because of the southwest Missouri community.
This was a Lionel ( O gauge) Texas Special car that got new decals. After I did the artwork and got custom made decals printed for this project, a company named K4 came out with Frisco decals for the Meteor. The set is available in HO and will include the tailsign. You’re in luck. https://k4decals.com/search?q=frisco
